Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1258433
The mountains accessible from the water or air in the summertime, in the winter season can be also reached by vehicle. The last stand of civilization, the closest rural locality (about 100 km in a straight line) to the Dybowski's Peak is Khonuu. This locality is located at a distance of more than 12,000 km from Gostyń in Poland, where a winter edition of the expedition began in January 2019. It takes us over a month to cover this route with an off-road vehicle. In the urban-type settlement of Ust-Nera, situated on the Kolyma Highway, a seasonal winter road begins, the so-called 'Zimnik' (winter time road), which runs along the frozen Indi- girka to the north at a distance of approx. 1000km, nearly to the very coast of the Arctic Ocean. The Indi- girka River creates a powerful water gap between Ust-Nera and Khonuu through the Chersky Range discov- ered by Obruczev. It is a very inhos- pitable place, especially in winter. Along 'Zimniks' (winter seasonal roads) you can get even to Chukot- ka. The water that is perceived as a curse in summer, becomes a bless- ing in winter – the frozen rivers be- come real motor ways, along which a transport to the farthest corners of Siberia takes place. When driving on ice, however, is not the same as driving on a bi- tuminous road surface. The obsta- cles we have encountered during the winter edition of the expedition vary from those occurring in sum- mer. Ice is constantly working, often is deformed, and a so-called icing are developed in the places where ground- water flows out from beneath the ice and flows on its surface. You never know where the ground water gets to the ice. When driving through icing you can get stuck in water, hang on some ice irregularities or in the worst case fall under the ice, which can have a tragic end. The icing is a real Russian roulette and it is the best to overcome them at high speed. In some places on the Indigirka River the tractors operate and pull out vehicles unable to cope with the passage through the icing. We will not discover America if we say that the ice is slippery. There is a great risk that you will go into a skid. When we cross the Chersky Range, 40 km from Ust-Nera at a speed of about 70 km/h, we lose control of the vehi- cle. Going into a skid ends with falling on a pile of snow and turning the car to its left side. It is night-time and a temperature drops below –45°C. Yaku- tia, in spite of its inhospitable nature (climate) is very hospitable (people). The drivers cannot count on the road assistance, so it would be hard to trav- el without mutual support. Passing Ka- maz vehicles put our Toyota 4Runner on its four wheels. Nevertheless, it will not be proceeded without a loss - cap- tain Przebinda during a rescue opera- tion defrosts his toes to such an acute extent that the expedition is delayed by a few good days. At night we still have to replace the wheel. An opera- tion, which on the regular basis would take a little time, at almost 50°C frost is a real challenge and lasts several hours. The lubricants in the gear lever www.fragoutmag.com